Hampton Roads may hold the key to which party controls the Virginia House of Delegates this year – and heavy donations are flowing to candidates.
Democrats are outraising Republican candidates $7 million to $3.1 million in six competitive races in southeastern Virginia, according to campaign finance data compiled by the nonpartisan Virginia Public Access Project.
All 100 House seats are on the ballot Nov. 4. Democrats hold a slim majority going into the election.
Old Dominion University political science professor Jesse Richman said while other states have seen national party identities take over their elections, Virginia remains a “purplish” toss-up state between red Republicans and blue Democrats. Republicans hold all three state-level positions in Virginia - governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general.
“We still have competitive state-level elections and competition for control of the legislative chambers,” Richman said. “What we've seen in quite a few states around the country, though, is that we've moved to kind of … long-standing, one-party rule.”
Campaign finance laws in Virginia require standard disclosure of contributions and expenditures, but put few restraints on the amount of money a supporter or political action committee can give to a candidate.
“If somebody wants to put a lot of money into a particular race, there aren't a lot of restrictions to keep them from doing that,” Richman said. For donors outside of Virginia, he said, “that door is pretty much open.”
Richman said a key indicator of voter sentiment this year could be the 97th district seat in Virginia Beach.
The 97th district features a race between incumbent Democrat Del. Michael Feggans and former delegate Tim Anderson, a Republican. Feggans has raised $1.67 million and Anderson $629,000 through Sept. 30, according to public filings. District voters have favored Democratic candidates in the last federal election cycle, but also backed Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin in 2021.
Feggans received more than $700,000 in September from the House Democratic Caucus and nearly $100,000 from the state Democratic party. Anderson’s main backers last month included the conservative Moving Mountains PAC ($65,000) and the Republican Commonwealth Leadership PAC ($35,000).
In the 71st district race, incumbent Republican Del. Amanda Batten has raised $874,000, with $300,000 coming from the Republican State Leadership Committee PAC in September. Democratic challenger Jessica Anderson, running a rematch against Batten, has received nearly double her opponent’s haul with $1.4 million this campaign cycle.
The district includes Williamsburg and parts of James City and New Kent counties, and leaned Democratic in the 2024 presidential election.
In the open seat for the 89th district, covering parts of Chesapeake and Suffolk, fundraising has reached nearly $2.4 million in the latest VPAP reports. Democrat Karen “Kacey” Carnegie has raised $1.75 million to Republican Mike Lamonea’s $647,000. Carnegie’s recent support has come largely from the Virginia House Democratic Caucus, while Lamonea has been backed by the state GOP and its leadership PAC.
Reach Louis Hansen at louis.hansen@vcij.org and Kunle Falayi at kunle.falayi@vcij.org.
